The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-20
DEPENDENT PENSIONS.
The House Committee Unanimously Urges
Its Passage Over the Veto.

The House Committee Unanimously Urges
Its Passage Over the Veto.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-The House commit
tee on invalid pensions to-day, by a unanimous
vote, decided to report back the dependent PEN
sion bill with . Recommendation that it be
passed over the Presidents veto. The report
states that two facts will arrest the attention of
anyone who reads the Presidents message. The
first is that no objection is made to the bill on
any ground of its constitutionality, and the
right OF Congress to enact the law is not ques-
toned. The other is that the first section of the
bill is not touched upon by the message, and no
intimation is given by the President as to
whether that section Of itself, embodying as it
does, an independent proposition, and in the
precise form specifically urged by the Secretary
of the Interior in his last annual report meets
with his approval or disapprovaL The commit
tee then Analyses the objections of the Pres
dent that the bill is vague in its provisions
in that it might apply to various grades of disa-
bility or dependency and submits to the judg
ment Of the House and country that those who
framed the BILL after months Of careful consid
GRAFTON, have made no istake, and have con-
fined the bill to the class, and that class can be
we'll defined as consisting of those totally dis
abled or dependent on their daily labor for sup
port
sWeregret says the committee, "the strained
Interpretation put on the bill in the message as
an excuse rather than reason. for returning it
to the House. and believe we do injustice to
the executive when considering the whole mes
sage, to cay that if its provisions had been
palmer. and no question could have been raised
hath ;col Jad In rob1 70
labor. he would have interposed his objections.
1t passes the comprehension of this
committee to understand how the President
could have overlooked in another bill 1.-THE Next
can pension billy what are alleged as faults in
this bill. Such distinction made by
the acts of the President, the committee cannot
believe, will be Endorsed anywhere by the patri-
otto sentiment of this country"
Referring to the expenditures of money which
the enactment of this bill into law would neces-
state, the committee contends that the estimate
of the President is extravaganza, but says that
no consideration Of possible cost shall be allowed
to como between dependent soldiers and the re-
lief they entitled to receive from the country
which they helped to save. Reducing the whole
question to ono of money expediency, it seemed
to the committee that the surplus in the treas
| ury can be best restored to the people in the
| manner proposed in the bill No bonded inter-
| est or huge monopoly could claim the money for
its own It would go to the people in small
amounts, and would circulate among them. The
bill mad been asked for on every hand. Protests
against it had only come from money-centers
| where all the money that did not turn their mill
was considered as worse than wasted.
l
general tone of the message was to be fairly tax
en- as expressive in advance of the Presidents
purpose to use the executive power to prevent
| any further legislation that would add any new
class to the pension list, or materially increase
the cost thereof based on the idea that the
| country was against it. The committee was
| aware that there was a sentiment of that kind,
but insisted that it was not controlling one.
The committee was loath to believe that the peo-
pie of the country were willing for the defend
ers of the Nations honor and life to live during
| their declining years in misery and want. On
the contrary, it believed that the people would
| prefer that those who made the laws should
err on the side of mercy rather than on the side
of too rigid economy in the expenditures of the
public money in this direction. and it further
believed that if more taxes, or even different
kind of taxes, were necessary to meet this demand
they would be cheerfully paid by the people.
"Holding fast" says the committee, ito these
views of our duties legislators, and with Q
cheerful willingness to answer here and else
where for the results of honest labors to relieve
the INDECENT soldiers Of our common country ir
any section of it, coming as they do from many
wars in which we have been engaged, and with
every confidence Of a right verdict upon thu
whole matter, submit cur bill again for tn,
judgment of the House, and ask for it the mos
rigid criticism believing it will. tend to strength
en- rather than to weaken it. We recommend
without dissenting voice in this committee
that the bill do pass, notwithstanding the objec
tons of the President"
The report was listened to with great Gtten
ton, though the reading was several times in
terrupted with applause, which broke out afresf
when the concluding sentence of the repor
showed the committee was unanimous in it.
recommendation.
Mr. Matson asked unanimous consent tina
consideration be deferred until Thursday next
and upon objection interposed by Mr.. Bragg
of Wisconsin, made a motion to that effect
which was carried-131 to 81.
a SURPRISED CANADIAN.
He Finds the House of Representatives Yer